Tag Archives: D.A. Points

Maybe it’s the long day, lack of sleep and/or the humidity, but while there are so many things to talk about after the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, I’m a bit uninspired. Yet clearly I am inspired enough to wait for it to kick in at midnight and take the time to write this post when all I want to do is zone out to a new series on Netflix and pass out. But here we are.

The first round of the PGA Championship at the new and — well, um, arguably — “improved” Quail Hollow Club was relatively predictable, though everyone was curious to see how the PGA would set up the course and how it would play (before they spoke out too strongly on the changes and new holes, particularly the green at the par-3 4th). Overall, it was vintage Thursday at the PGA: Predictable.

Everyone on Tour knew it was only a matter of time before Billy Horschel secured his first PGA Tour victory. Horschel was playing too well. He was swinging too pure. He had made a Tour-leading 23 consecutive cuts. He had finished in the top-10 in his previous three starts — runner-up at the Shell Houston Open, T3 at the Texas Valero Open, and T9 at the RBC Heritage. He was simply due.

Despite two rain delays on Sunday at TPC Louisiana, including one that lasted almost an hour after the 26-year-old from Florida had hit his drive, Horschel kept his nerve and holed a birdie putt from 26 feet to clinch the victory at the Zurich Classic.

Of course that’s a reference to Bill Murray’s facial hair. The Pebble Beach National Pro-Am regular is making a scene, per usual. He’s partnered up with D.A. Points, who won the event in 2011 — the pair were also victorious in the pro-am portion of the tournament.

Murray and Points played at Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course on Thursday, and posted a team effort of five-under 65, putting them in a tie for 51st after the opening round.

There are always a bunch of leftover tidbits from talking with players about whatever topic or observing something interesting/weird/funny/sad that I wish I could have shared, but for one reason or another, I didn’t have time to post or write it, or it just didn’t fit anywhere else. Maybe I’m an ultra geek and no one else cares, but that’s too bad. I’m not forcing you to read on…

Well, it’s certainly been a strange, hectic morning at The Players Championship, and it actually didn’t directly have anything to do with Tiger Woods. Shocking, I know. In the end, it worked itself out.

Brian Harman, the first alternate, was granted a spot in the field and a 12:20pm tee time, after a sequence of strange events, where he should have replaced D.A. Points, who withdrew, in the 8:39am starting time on No. 1.

Rickie Fowler told the media earlier this week at the Wells Fargo Championship that his first PGA Tour win was in the near future. Just a few days later, the 23-year-old golfer walked into the interview room, sat down, and said, smiling, “I told you guys it was coming soon.”

With only a few days left in 2011, we’ll take a look at the highlights and lowlights of the year. Let’s start with Best Shots (or Most Memorable), a category that needs no introduction. Before digging in, please consider the shots that jump out to you this past season. If I missed one of your favorites, my bad — drop your thoughts in the comments section. Now, let’s review and reflect on some of the most mindblowing moments in 2011 before we move on to 2012.

DA Points and Bill Murray shot a team total of 35-under to win the pro-am

“Cinderella story outta nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become The Masters champion…” I bet you haven’t heard that line enough times since Sunday evening! But thing is, it actually was a Cinderella story. Paired with actor and entertainer Bill Murray, D.A. Points shot a five-under 67 in the final round to capture his first-career PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. To top it off, Points and Murray combined to post 35-under and won the pro-am portion of the event.